Visually-capable people often rely on sight to interact with the world around them. For example, people often rely on sight to locate obstacles (e.g., stairs, damaged walkways, low hanging branches, etc.), and other objects (e.g., doors, chairs, etc.), and receive information (e.g., location, identity of other people, information conveyed by signs and traffic signals, information conveyed in text on paper and on digital displays, etc.). Visually-impaired (e.g., blind) people often use their non-visual senses (e.g., touch, hearing, etc.) to interact with the world around them.
Conventional methods and devices that help visually-impaired and blind people to use their other senses to interact with the world around them are known in the art. Some of these methods and devices help visually-impaired and blind people to navigate from place to place. For example, talking global positioning system (GPS) devices utilize GPS technology to identify the location of a person, and audibly announce details regarding the location. Also, mobility canes and Seeing Eye dogs are commonly used to help visually-impaired people avoid obstacles and locate other objects. Additionally, there may be conventional methods and devices that help visually-impaired people to analyze documents, and receive information conveyed by text. For example, application software is available for smartphones that enable people to identify currency, and convert emails and text messages to voice.